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Stop stereotyping or I will go crazy!!!

The point is; there are people who think that they know everything about homeschooling and are qualified to judge, question, and advise others against it. What do these people really know? Usually they know that homeschooling is done at home and not at school. That’s about it. Are we seeing the problem here?

So, what I am going to do now, because I am bored the world needs to know, is to go through all the stereotypes I have ever heard about homeschooling. And then I am going to rant about why they are so not true.

1) Homeschoolers are unsocial.

Whoever thinks this is just sad. It’s obvious that their entire social life revolved around school. And they think homeschoolers spend too much time at home. Maybe it’s not a good thing to spend too much time at school, either?

There are more ways to see other people than at school. And really, how is sitting in a desk all day except for the 15 minutes while you scarf down your lunch and being told what to do by a teacher a good social life? Isn’t part of a good social life going places you want to go and seeing people who you’re happy to be around? That’s what I consider a good social life.

2) Because they don’t go to school, homeschoolers don’t know how to deal with different kinds of people.

Okay, this goes back to stereotype # 1. Let’s understand that homeschoolers do see other people.

Now, you think that it’s good to be with difficult people all day and to learn how to work with them. I agree. Except for the all day every day part. Because that’s all school teaches you. Work in a group, work with a partner, work with an escaped convict and a flying monkey. It’s all about how to work with other people. And this is good, in small amounts.

You see, there is no personalization in a school. They try. 30 minutes a week a boring teacher comes in and lectures about how everyone should be themself. And then assigns groups to work on a project about being yourself. Typical.

Here is what I learned about working with difficult people in school: You have to pretend to be friends with everybody because everybody is your friend. And you have to compromise on everything and listen to everyone no matter how stupid they sound. And you can never roll your eyes or tell someone to shut their mouth and start drawing the speech bubbles already.

Somehow that doesn’t sound like the best way to deal with difficult people…

3) Homeschoolers have no ‘real world’ experience.

What is real world experience? Well, I would define it as doing things in the real world, like, outside of school. And who does EVERYTHING outside of school? Who learns things in the real world, outside of school? Hmm…

I think school is as different as possible from the real world. In school you have a teacher tell you everything. There are teachers everywhere to explain patiently what you are supposed to do. You have little responsibility, and if you don’t understand something a teacher will be right there to tell you exactly how it works. Tell me, people with real jobs, is that what it’s like in the real world?

4) People quit school to homeschool because they are lazy.

Oh no. You should never ever accuse someone homeschooled of being lazy.

Being homeschooled is way harder than public school. Way harder. In public school, do you have to be motivated to teach yourself things every single day? Do you; or is there a teacher right there telling you what you have to do and when you have to do it.

My curriculums are way more accelerated than anything the public school has.

Also, homeschoolers don’t have anyone to compare themselves to. Which means they don’r have a point where they can say, “Well, that’s going to earn an A, I guess I’ll be done!” Homeschoolers don’t stop learning when they know they’ll get a good grade. When I went to school I got straight A+’s without even trying. Seriously, I never tried to do my best, or to study, (I can actually never remember studying at home) and my papers are filled with doodles from when the teacher was talking and I was spacing out. Yet I got straight A+’s. I didn’t need to try, so why should I have, I was already getting the best scores I could. How is that not lazy?

5) Homeschooled people are “weird.”

Yeah, I know exactly where this one comes from.

Okay, remember when you went to school. Now, do you remember any “weird” kids at school? I know I do. There are plenty of “weird” kids at school. Naturally, some of the “weird” kids are homeschooled, too.

Here’s the problem we have: When there is a “weird” kid at school, they’re just a “weird” kid, no questions asked. But when there is a “weird” kid who is homeschooled? Suddenly it’s not just because they’re a “weird” kid like they would be if they went to school, no, they’re “weird” because they are homeschooled.

People, stop being afraid of controversy!

6) Homeschooled students can’t get into college.

You might want to ask the Dartmouth admissions people about that. I seem to recall them saying the opposite…

7) All homeschoolers are crazy religious freaks.

Not all, just a few. I won’t deny that there are a few. I’m sure they’re out there somewhere.

But there are many, many reason to homeschool.

9) Homeschool groups are clique-y.

This one makes me laugh. I am in a homeschool group. They are far from clique-y. They are very, very nice, (nicer than me) they can do things like go and knit together without getting bored and complaining about a newspaper from Nebraska that had a picture of a corn field on EVERY SINGLE PAGE. I’m serious, every page. It was like the “Corn Field Times: in case you care about what happens in a corn field.”

10) Homeschooled students are all the same. Homeschooled.

You need to get past that. Being homeschooled is not all that defines a person. Really, should I say that all public school students are lazy and dull-witted. I know lots of people in public school, and none of that is true. So, I won’t define you by your education, and you can stop stereotyping me.

And Obama, you need to let the German homeschoolers stay here. You do not send them back to Germany where their kids will be made to go to public school. Do not do that. Or I will become a republican.

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3 thoughts on “Stop stereotyping or I will go crazy!!!”

Hard to comment. I can only speak from personal experience.I hated one school and was beaten down by it. I loved the next and was uplifted by it. I met a variety of people, was challenged and met the challenges. The people I met were students, teachers, coaches. tutors, cafeteria ladies, bus drivers, etc and while some were great, others weren’t, just as in life, Whether you are an intern in a job, or a student in school, one learns the fine art of compromise, compassion and if you are astute,diplomacy. I do think though that which ever star you follow, your deep insight will guide you. No need to defend your preferences, just embrace them.,